


and the air was full of various storms.

by riskbreakered



Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: F/M, Fluff, around volume eighteen thereabouts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-24
Updated: 2018-01-24
Packaged: 2019-03-09 00:13:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13469616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/riskbreakered/pseuds/riskbreakered
Summary: A mutually beneficial exchange.





	and the air was full of various storms.

He was exhausted, but Ryuji was stubbornly insistent on admitting none of it. Becoming the assistant of Lewin Light was no small burden on his schedule. Dedication, however, was all he knew.

So he plunged into his vow head on. Complaining had no place, in his opinion.

He sat by himself on the balcony outside of the cram school classroom, taking what little free time he was allowed to study. A pile of borrowed books were stacked in front of him and he paged through the topmost book. After a while, he let out a sigh.

Too tired to absorb any useful knowledge, he was merely skimming through the same sentences, his eyes glossing over.

Thus it was how he was found, glaring dumbly at the book in his hands. 

"What are you doing?" Izumo came out onto the balcony with her usual cool grace. "Don't you know if you nap here, you'll fall down to the bottom?"

Ryuji snapped his book shut and sat straighter. It was a very distinct vexation he felt in her presence. As if all his hard work meant nothing at all, and he'd been found out as a fraud -- someway, somehow. It was absurd each time.

"Only Okumura would be that foolish," he snorted, ignoring the drastic plunge below him.

Izumo's eyebrows raised but she said nothing. She moved over to where he was sitting, looking things over. Not quite looking at _him_ , which he found also strangely vexing. Ryuji set his book down.

"And what are _you_ doing? There's no sign of an assembly today."

"Me? I was looking for Moriyama, of course. Who knows where she's wandered off to this time, you know?"

Ryuji nodded. (He had no clue.)

"Although you look like you could really use this more."

Cradling two cans of iced coffee he watched, in the sort of confusion-laden stupor only true exhaustion offered, as Izumo handed him one. Ryuji took it on instinct, and he stared at the item in his palm.

"Coffee...?"

She looked like she was considering hurling him off the edge of the balcony. 

"Anyway, I'll be going!"

Ryuji snapped to attention as she started to turn away, standing up on his feet and (admittedly) startling them both just a little. He resisted the urge for a more formal show of gratitude, the silent, wavering pause making the awkward feeling build.

"T-thanks," he stammered finally. It seemed simple enough, but he knew her reactions were unpredictable. 

She eyed him.

Izumo seemed to be edging toward the door, but Ryuji was blessed out of his tired stupor enough to remember his stack of books. He reached over and drew one out quickly and the movement made her stop.

Izumo looked at him curiously as Ryuji held it out for her.

"Master, he hoards too many unread books, and I've been trying to sort through and organize --" he was babbling, and knew it, and so he stopped and gestured for her to take the book.

"It would be a waste to throw them out. I thought you might have use for it."

Izumo took the book and examined it. An illustration of fox spirits decorated the cover. (He hadn't forgotten her dances, and knew she would make an excellent tamer some day.)

"Hm. Fair enough."

She cradled the book in her arm along with her own can of coffee.

Ryuji heard a thank you, or at least thought he had, as she dashed quickly out the door and disappeared. He stood there for a few moments, feeling as though he looked completely foolish again. And deciding at last that it was okay.

He sat back down eventually with his books. Ryuji drank from his can of coffee diligently and allowed himself a tiny smile.


End file.
